Roundup: Purtzer still on a roll

7-under-par 65 tops leader board at Legends of Golf

News Services

Published
5:30 am CDT, Saturday, April 23, 2005

SAVANNAH, GA. - Tom Purtzer's trip to visit his daughter, a college student in Australia, proved to be more than just a vacation.

Purtzer, who won the Australian Senior PGA Championship during his visit two weeks ago, was still full of confidence Friday, when he tied a course record by shooting a 7-under-par 65 for a one-stroke lead in the first round of the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf.

"It was kind of a businessman's holiday," Purtzer said. "I happened to see they were playing that tournament that weekend. I e-mailed a guy I knew, and he said I'd be welcome to play down there (during the Champions Tour's recent one-month break)."

Ireland's Des Smyth, who won the SBC Classic in March, was a shot behind at 66 at The Club at Savannah Harbor, an island layout in the middle of the Savannah River.

In other action

•

Koch leads LPGA event
—
Carin Koch
opened a 3-under-par 69 with an eagle 2 and went on to take a three-stroke lead after two rounds of the LPGA's Corona Morelia Championship at Morelia, Mexico.
Koch, who started the second round two strokes behind first-round leader
Natalie Gulbis
, holed a sand wedge from 97 yards for the eagle on No. 1, a 376-yard par-4.

Wendy Ward, who won for the first time in nearly four years at the Takefuji Classic in Las Vegas last week, had a 69 and was at 4-under 140 after two trips around 6,763-yard Tres Marias Golf Club.

• Scott sets Beijing course record — Australia's Adam Scott shot a course-record, 9-under-par 63 to complete the first round of the Johnnie Walker Classic that had been delayed because of strong wind. He shared the lead with three others in a second round in which more than half the field has yet to start.